My inspiration for the 2025 Fiesta poster is based on honoring the history of Fiesta, the three largest parades that take place during Fiesta, and the top organizations that participate and raise money for charities. My goal was also for the poster to represent as much of Fiesta as possible and for it to resemble a classic oil painting.
The first idea and step in this painting was to depict a young girl accepting a Fiesta medal from a Texas Cavalier located in the center of my painting. The gold Fiesta medal represents all the money raised during the three weeks of over 100 Fiesta events to give to the children in our community. Surrounding this exchange, at the Texas Cavaliers River Parade, are the other two parades below in each corner- The Fiesta Flambeau® Night Parade and the Battle of Flowers® Parade.
To honor the hard work and dedication of the Royal Courts of Fiesta, I painted custom portraits of King Antonio-102 in front of his crest, Rey Feo-76 next to his original crest, and Reina De La Feria De las Flores for Fiesta 2025 in front of the Rose Window (Mission San Jose). I also listed all the Official Fiesta Queens on individual sashes in front of Mission San Jose and an inspired version of the royal dress/train of the Order of the Alamo located in the lower- center of the painting. Fiesta medals were also included across the San Antonio Riverwalk in my painting to represent a few of my personal favorite Fiesta events, such as the King William Fair, Fiesta Oyster Bake®, NIOSA, and more.
In the top center of my painting is an abstract representation of the official Fiesta flag located precisely behind the iconic Tower of Americas, and under the tower are the words of the theme of Fiesta- “Fiesta For All.”
I experimented with many fonts to use for “Fiesta” however, none of them felt authentic enough for the aura of the painting. I developed and designed my own custom font just for this painting and included a decorative border that frames the letters inside and around them. I take pride in giving all my details plenty of thought and consideration with the goal of creating a very unique piece of art.
I am a second-generation native of San Antonio, and according to family members, I may be a descendant of the Canary Islands. Alongside my older brother, I have created art since I was about five years old and always had a deep interest in art my entire life. After studying art and architecture, I graduated from college in 1998 and soon began teaching myself to paint with acrylic and oil paints. In the early 2000s, my brother and I started an art studio and gallery in the house where my father grew up in to develop and showcase our artwork. In 2008, I designed and built my father’s CPA office and included an art gallery where my brother and I currently display art.
I first received city-wide recognition for my art in 2019 by winning the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission vote and popular vote for the Fiesta® Fiesta city-wide competition. Soon after, I partnered with the Salvation Army/ Peacock Boys and Girls Club to create event posters to raise money for the Mike Taylor BBQ fundraiser (2019-2024) and designed the Red Kettle for local news anchor Sarah Forgany (2019-2023). In 2020, I was honored to be chosen by Mission San Jose to create the official Tricentennial painting, which I dedicated to my mom during her battle with stage 4 cancer. During 2020 and 2021, I collaborated with UTSA Football to create original championship posters to raffle, raising money for the Bryce Strong Foundation, which supports young cancer patients.
After this time, I taught myself digital painting while applying my traditional pencil sketching and painting techniques. From 2021 to 2022, I had the opportunity to work with my favorite sports franchise, Spurs Sports and Entertainment, creating official game event posters featuring Dejounte Murray in 2021 and former Austin Spurs players in 2022. Additionally, I created a sketch inspired by the Spurs’ first-round draft pick in 2022, Victor Wembanyama, which was featured across local television and radio channels and got the attention of two French cable stations.
In 2023, I was honored to be commissioned to create the event poster for Civic Park at Hemisfair, and I signed and distributed hundreds of posters after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. My parents went on their first date at the original Hemisfair in 1968, so this project has a lot of sentimental value to me. That same year, the president of the San Antonio Zoo selected me to create an official event poster for the grand opening of their new entrance and pavilion. To conclude the year, I designed a holiday card for San Antonio District 1, with thousands of cards being mailed to residences and businesses in the area.
I was again fortunate to include my artwork for Fiesta in 2024, I partnered with an official Fiesta event, The Taste of the Northside, and designed their inaugural custom art event poster. All proceeds from the poster sales were donated to the Brighton Center, which help thousands of local kids with developmental delays. In the fall of 2024, I also painted the grand opening event poster for the new San Antonio Zoo exhibit, Naylor Savannah, distributing hundreds of signed posters to visitors at the ceremony.
My art passion lies in creating ideas and honoring the people and culture of San Antonio. As the city continues to grow, my goal is to continue producing and sharing my artwork that reflects San Antonio’s unique history as well as the new spaces and communities emerging here. In the art I produce, I strive to exceed people’s expectations by displaying eccentric ideas while incorporating the techniques I have refined throughout my life.
